Remembering 2012: A Final Photo Retrospective

March 2012 – Senegal: People celebrating the victory of President Macky Sall’s election and the peaceful transition of power. Photo credit: Getty Images.

Thousands of newsworthy events with global ramifications have already intrigued and distracted us in 2013. Yet in the spirit of reflection and analysis, we thought we’d present a last look at images that captured the momentous year gone by. Last year was the hottest on record after all. Here is a mini-selection of favorite 2012 photos picked by New Context staffers.

January 4, 2012 – A reflection of Geralda Cheristin, a reminder of the devastating earthquake that left much of Haiti destroyed back in 2010. Photo Credit: Patrick Farrell —Miami Herald/MCT.

Jan. 17, 2012 – President Obama unexpectedly running into Michele on her birthday in the basement of the White House. Photo credit: Christopher Morris — Time.

February 23, 2012 – A disabled woman demonstrates for government support of disabled people in La Paz, Bolivia. Photo credit: David Mercado — Reuters.

March 2012 – Senegal: People celebrating the victory of President Macky Sall’s election and the peaceful transition of power. Photo credit: Getty Images.

September 1, 2012 – A woman adorns an adult elephant in Panbari, India, after it was hit and killed by a train while crossing the railways tracks. Photo credit: Anupam Nath — AP Photo.

September 3, 2012 – A man takes a solemn walk through the Salaheddin neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, after heavy fighting between the rebels and Syrian troops. Photo credit: Joseph Eid – AFP/Getty Images.

September 11, 2012 – Everyone was reminded where Benghazi is after the diplomatic attacks on the makeshift American consulate. The attacks highlighted the exacerbation of North African conflicts in the name of Islamic extremism, the complex consequences of the NATO interventions, and the fall of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi. Photo credit: Ibrahim Alaguri — Associated Press.

October 13, 2012 – Inglewood, CA: Traymond Harris and Ryan Hudge play a game of basketball as the Endeavour shuttle heads to its final destination – the California Science Center in South Los Angeles. Photo credit: Wally Skalij – Getty Images.